Pipilotti Rist, a renowned video artist and pop icon, was already using her stage name as a child, inspired by Pippi Longstocking, the main character in Astrid Lindgren's children's book of the same name. She spent five years in Vienna, studying commercial art, illustration, and photography at the University of Applied Arts from 1982 to 1986.
During this period, she began creating her first performance works, and even her early Super 8 films showcased technical effects such as color distortion and changing speeds. From 1988 to 1990, she trained at the Basel School of Design in audiovisual communication, focusing on video production. Since then, her artistic focus has been on video installations and collaborations.
In 1997, Rist was honored with the Premio 2000 at the Venice Biennale, and she took on the artistic direction of the Swiss national exhibition Expo.01. Simultaneously, she dedicated herself to music, playing in the women's band and performance group "Les Reines Prochaines" for six years and releasing several records.
